Vaccine-modified NF-kB and GR signaling in cervicovaginal epithelium correlates with protection

Cervicovaginal epithelium plays a critical role in determining the outcome of virus transmission in the female reproductive tract (FRT) by initiating or suppressing transmission-facilitating mucosal immune responses in naïve and SIVmac239Δnef-vaccinated animals, respectively. In this study, we examined the very early responses of cervical epithelium within 24 h after vaginal exposure to SIV in naive and SIVmac239Δnef-vaccinated rhesus macaques. Using both ex vivo and in vivo experimental systems, we found that vaginal exposure to SIV rapidly induces a broad spectrum of pro-inflammatory responses in the epithelium associated with a reciprocal regulation of NF-kB and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling pathways. Conversely, maintenance of high-level GR expression and suppression of NF-kB expression in the epithelium were associated with an immunologically quiescent state in the FRT mucosa and protection against vaginal challenge in SIVmac239Δnef-vaccinated animals. We show that the immunologically quiescent state is induced by FCGR2B-immune complexes interactions that modify the reciprocal regulation of NF-kB and GR signaling pathways. Our results suggest that targeting the balance of NF-kB and GR signaling in early cervicovaginal epithelium responses could moderate mucosal inflammation and target cell availability after vaginal infection, thereby providing a complementary approach to current prevention strategies.

Abstract P1-02-09: Targeting breast cancer stem cell state equilibrium through modulation of redox signaling

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) maintain the plasticity to transition between quiescent mesenchymal- (M) and proliferative epithelial-like (E) states, but how this plasticity is regulated under metabolic/oxidative stress is poorly understood. Here, we show that M- and E-BCSCs exhibit markedly different sensitivities to the inhibitors of glycolysis and redox metabolism. Metabolic/Oxidative stress generated by 2DG/H2O2 or hypoxia promotes ROSlo M-BCSCs transition to their ROShi E-state. This transition is reversed by the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine and facilitated by the activation of the AMPK-HIF1α axis. Moreover, E-BCSCs exhibit robust expression of NRF2/NFE2L2 and a wide variety of NRF2 downstream antioxidant responsive genes including the family of drug transporters and detoxification enzymes, NADPH production as well as the thioredoxin (TXN) and glutathione (GSH) antioxidant pathways. Suppression of NRF2 activity by a small-molecular inhibitor Trigonelline or shNRF2 mediated knockdown significantly decreased ALDH+ E- but not CD24-CD44+ M-BCSCs. This specific vulnerability of E-BCSCs to the inhibition of NRF2-mediated antioxidant defenses was also observed following inhibition of the downstream TXN and GSH antioxidant pathways, which promotes ROS-mediated differentiation and subsequent apoptosis of E-BCSCs. Co-inhibition of glycolysis and TXN/GSH pathways synergistically suppressed tumor growth and tumor initiating potential in two patient-derived xenograft models of triple negative breast cancer by eliminating both M- and E-BCSCs. Together, our studies reveal novel cellular and molecular mechanisms demonstrating how modulation of redox signaling regulates the equilibrium of two distinct BCSC states. These studies define the metabolic vulnerabilities of M- and E-BCSCs, and also provide a novel therapeutic approach to collectively target these distinct CSC states. As the CSC state equilibrium may be similarly regulated across a spectrum of tumors with diverse oncogenic drivers, this approach may have broad therapeutic applicability.

Citation Format: Luo M, Shang L, Brooks M, Jiagge E, Zhu Y, Conley S, Fath MA, Harouaka R, Merajver SD, Spitz DR, Wicha MS. Targeting breast cancer stem cell state equilibrium through modulation of redox signaling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-02-09.

Human hepatic stellate cell isolation and characterization

The hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) localize at the space of Disse in the liver and have multiple functions. They are identified as the major contributor to hepatic fibrosis. Significant understanding of HSCs has been achieved using rodent models and isolated murine HSCs; as well as investigating human liver tissues and human HSCs. There is growing interest and need of translating rodent study findings to human HSCs and human liver diseases. However, species-related differences impose challenges on the translational research. In this review, we focus on the current information on human HSCs isolation methods, human HSCs markers, and established human HSC cell lines.

A rating scale for the severity of Guillain-Barré syndrome

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to develop a rating scale to assess the severity of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).

METHODS

The preliminary rating scale, which contained 11 items, was developed by the Delphi method, and data of 258 patients were collected to evaluate it. Item analysis was accomplished by 100 patients; the additional 158 patients were used to evaluate the reliability, validity, and discriminative ability of the rating scale. The structure of the rating scale was testified by the confirmatory factor analysis and also made a further evaluation by the correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The rating scale contained 10 items. The three factors mainly generalized the motor function, cranial nerve function and autonomic function. The results of reliability and validity showed that the structure of the rating scale was good (χ² =68.25, df=32, χ² /df=2.13, normed fit index (NFI)=0.919, non-normed fit index (NNFI)=0.936, comparative fit index (CFI)=0.96, a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.085), and the Cronbach's α coefficient for the scale was .852, with the three dimensions ranging from .585 to .752.

CONCLUSION

Reliability and validity of the rating scale are all satisfied. The scale contained the main clinical presentations of GBS, and it is suitable to evaluate the severity of GBS.

Evaluation of the role of 8-iso-PGF levels at multiple sites during intracranial hemorrhage in pediatric patients

OBJECTIVE

The present study was planned to explore the role of 8-isomeric-prostaglandinF2α (8-iso-PGF2α) levels at the multiple sites of cerebrospinal fluid in children with intracranial hemorrhage.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

90 children with intracranial hemorrhage were admitted to Surgery Intensive Care Unit (SICU) of our hospital from January to December 2013 and were selected as study subjects. They were divided into group A (n=30), group B (n=30) and group C (n=30). The group A was given conventional treatment, the group B was treated with minimally invasive puncture and the group C was treated with cerebrospinal fluid decompression. After 1 d, 2 d, 3 d, and 7 d of hospitalization, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the 8-iso-PGF2α levels in peripheral blood of children in all groups. On the day of admission and 10 d after treatment, 3 groups of children were implemented with brain nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for metabolite analyses.

RESULTS

On the day of admission there were no significant differences in the 8-iso-PGF2α levels among group A, B and C. Further, after 1 d, 3 d, 7 d of hospital stay, the 8-iso-PGF2α levels in peripheral blood showed a gradual downward trend, and decline range of the group C was greater than that of group A and B (p < 0.05). After 10 days of treatment, there were significant differences in the bilateral temporal lobe and hippocampal NAA/Creatinine (Cr), Cho/Cr, mI/Cr and NAA/mI among group A, B, and C. The survival rate of group C was higher than that of group A and B (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the prevalence of sequelae was significantly lower than that of group A and B (p < 0.05). The amount of blood loss in children with intracranial hemorrhage was positively correlated with the levels of 8-iso-PGF2α in peripheral blood (r = 0.546, p < 0.05) as observed by Spearman correlation analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

8-iso-PGF2α plays an important role in the pathogenesis of intracranial hemorrhage, and could be utilized as a biomarker of oxidative stress in children with intracranial hemorrhage. Further, cerebrospinal fluid decompression is a better method of treatment for intracranial hemorrhage.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernias: from genes to mechanisms to therapies

Congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDHs) and structural anomalies of the diaphragm are a common class of congenital birth defects that are associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to associated pulmonary hypoplasia, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. In ∼30% of CDH patients, genomic analyses have identified a range of genetic defects, including chromosomal anomalies, copy number variants and sequence variants. The affected genes identified in CDH patients include transcription factors, such as GATA4, ZFPM2, NR2F2 and WT1, and signaling pathway components, including members of the retinoic acid pathway. Mutations in these genes affect diaphragm development and can have pleiotropic effects on pulmonary and cardiac development. New therapies, including fetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion and prenatal transplacental fetal treatments, aim to normalize lung development and pulmonary vascular tone to prevent and treat lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension, respectively. Studies of the association between particular genetic mutations and clinical outcomes should allow us to better understand the origin of this birth defect and to improve our ability to predict and identify patients most likely to benefit from specialized treatment strategies.

Nanometre-scale 3D defects in Cr2AlC thin films

MAX-phase Cr₂AlC containing thin films were synthesized by magnetron sputtering in an industrial system. Nanometre-scale 3D defects are observed near the boundary between regions of Cr₂AlC and of the disordered solid solution (CrAl)_xC_y. Shrinkage of the Cr-Cr interplanar distance and elongation of the Cr-Al distance in the vicinity of the defects are detected using transmission electron microscopy. The here observed deformation surrounding the defects was described using density functional theory by comparing the DOS of bulk Cr₂AlC with the DOS of a strained and unstrained Cr₂AlC(0001) surface. From the partial density of states analysis, it can be learned that Cr-C bonds are stronger than Cr-Al bonds in bulk Cr₂AlC. Upon Cr₂AlC(0001) surface formation, both bonds are weakened. While the Cr-C bonds recover their bulk strength as Cr₂AlC(0001) is strained, the Cr-Al bonds experience only a partial recovery, still being weaker than their bulk counterparts. Hence, the strain induced bond strengthening in Cr₂AlC(0001) is larger for Cr d – C p bonds than for Cr d – Al p bonds. The here observed changes in bonding due to the formation of a strained surface are consistent with the experimentally observed elongation of the Cr-Al distance in the vicinity of nm-scale 3D defects in Cr₂AlC thin films.

Epithelium-innate immune cell axis in mucosal responses to SIV

In the SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus)-rhesus macaque model of HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus type I) transmission to women, one hallmark of the mucosal response to exposure to high doses of SIV is CD4 T-cell recruitment that fuels local virus expansion in early infection. In this study, we systematically analyzed the cellular events and chemoattractant profiles in cervical tissues that precede CD4 T-cell recruitment. We show that vaginal exposure to the SIV inoculum rapidly induces chemokine expression in cervical epithelium including CCL3, CCL20, and CXCL8. The chemokine expression is associated with early recruitment of macrophages and plasmacytoid dendritic cells that are co-clustered underneath the cervical epithelium. Production of chemokines CCL3 and CXCL8 by these cells in turn generates a chemokine gradient that is spatially correlated with the recruitment of CD4 T cells. We further show that the protection of SIVmac239Δnef vaccination against vaginal challenge is correlated with the absence of this epithelium-innate immune cell-CD4 T-cell axis response in the cervical mucosa. Our results reveal a critical role for cervical epithelium in initiating early mucosal responses to vaginal infection, highlight an important role for macrophages in target cell recruitment, and provide further evidence of a paradoxical dampening effect of a protective vaccine on these early mucosal responses.

Percutaneous kyphoplasty with or without temporary unipedicle screw reduction : A retrospective comparative study of osteoporotic vertebral fractures

Background

Temporary unipedicle screw reduction with percutaneous kyphoplasty (TUSR-PKP) is a relatively new method for managing osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). A clinical retrospective comparative study was conducted to verify whether TUSR-PKP was noninferior to simple PKP regarding the management of OVCFs.

Methods

A total of 38 consecutive patients who sustained OVCFs without neurological deficits and had undergone surgeries in our hospital from June 2012 to January 2014 were included in the study: 24 patients underwent simple PKP (control group) and the other 14 patients underwent TUSR-PKP (treatment group). All 38 patients were asked to participate in a long-term (>1 year) follow-up. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were recorded, and the Cobb angles and the vertebral body heights were measured on the lateral radiographs before surgery and on day 1, as well as 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery.

Results

The patients in the treatment group had better vertebral height gain and greater improvement on ODI compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The VAS scores of the two groups were similar at all points until the end of the 1‑year follow-up period. Two patients from the treatment group and 5 patients from the control group had cement leakage. In the control group, 3 patients suffered adjacent or nonadjacent vertebra fractures.

Conclusion

TUSR-PKP is a safe and effective surgical option for OVCFs. Compared with simple PKP, TUSR-PKP provided at least equal results for OVCFs. Moreover, during the postsurgery observations, TUSR-PKP showed potential advantages including vertebral height gain, ODI improvement, and fewer subsequent refractures.

De novo missense variants in PPP2R5D are associated with intellectual disability, macrocephaly, hypotonia, and autism

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a heterotrimeric protein serine/threonine phosphatase and is involved in a broad range of cellular processes. PPP2R5D is a regulatory B subunit of PP2A and plays an important role in regulating key neuronal and developmental regulation processes such as PI3K/AKT and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β)-mediated cell growth, chromatin remodeling, and gene transcriptional regulation. Using whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified four de novo variants in PPP2R5D in a total of seven unrelated individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and other shared clinical characteristics, including autism spectrum disorder, macrocephaly, hypotonia, seizures, and dysmorphic features. Among the four variants, two have been previously reported and two are novel. All four amino acids are highly conserved among the PP2A subunit family, and all change a negatively charged acidic glutamic acid (E) to a positively charged basic lysine (K) and are predicted to disrupt the PP2A subunit binding and impair the dephosphorylation capacity. Our data provides further support for PPP2R5D as a genetic cause of ID.

Automated, high-throughput derivation, characterization and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are an essential tool for modeling how causal genetic variants impact cellular function in disease, as well as an emerging source of tissue for regenerative medicine. The preparation of somatic cells, their reprogramming and the subsequent verification of iPSC pluripotency are laborious, manual processes limiting the scale and reproducibility of this technology. Here we describe a modular, robotic platform for iPSC reprogramming enabling automated, high-throughput conversion of skin biopsies into iPSCs and differentiated cells with minimal manual intervention. We demonstrate that automated reprogramming and the pooled selection of polyclonal pluripotent cells results in high-quality, stable iPSCs. These lines display less line-to-line variation than either manually produced lines or lines produced through automation followed by single-colony subcloning. The robotic platform we describe will enable the application of iPSCs to population-scale biomedical problems including the study of complex genetic diseases and the development of personalized medicines.

β-cell dysfunction due to increased ER stress in a stem cell model of Wolfram syndrome

Wolfram syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in WFS1 and is characterized by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and deafness. To investigate the cause of β-cell failure, we used induced pluripotent stem cells to create insulin-producing cells from individuals with Wolfram syndrome. WFS1-deficient β-cells showed increased levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress molecules and decreased insulin content. Upon exposure to experimental ER stress, Wolfram β-cells showed impaired insulin processing and failed to increase insulin secretion in response to glucose and other secretagogues. Importantly, 4-phenyl butyric acid, a chemical protein folding and trafficking chaperone, restored normal insulin synthesis and the ability to upregulate insulin secretion. These studies show that ER stress plays a central role in β-cell failure in Wolfram syndrome and indicate that chemical chaperones might have therapeutic relevance under conditions of ER stress in Wolfram syndrome and other forms of diabetes.

A population-based study of associations between functional gastrointestinal disorders and psychosocial characteristics in Xi'an, China

BACKGROUND

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are disorders with chronic and recurring gastrointestinal symptoms. This study investigated the prevalence of FGIDs, assessed the association between FGIDs and psychosocial factors, and identified potential risk factors for FGIDs in a population in Xi'an, China.

METHODS

Of 752 recruited residents in Xi'an, 720 were selected for an epidemiological survey using a cluster sampling method. All subjects were interviewed face-to-face to complete the Chinese version of ROME III FGIDs questionnaire, the Symptom Check-List-90, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, a Life Event Scale, and a questionnaire regarding personal childhood adversity. The prevalence of FGIDs and associations between FGIDs and psychosocial factors were determined using EpiData Software. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the potential risk factors for FGIDs.

KEY RESULTS

The prevalence of FGIDs in this sample population was 14.3% (103/720). There were 13 (1.8%) cases of overlap of different FGIDs. No significant difference in the prevalence of FGIDs was observed between men and women. Alcohol intake and smoking habits were significantly associated with the presence of FGIDs. The presence of FGIDs was significantly associated with psychological factors and influences such as personality type, life events, childhood adversity, and psychopathology. The potential risk factors for contracting FGIDs were certain life events, childhood adversity, somatization, and a hostile affect (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

The prevalence of FGIDs and overlap syndrome in Xi'an, China was lower than that reported in other countries. There was a strong correlation between specific lifestyle habits and psychosocial characteristics and the presence of FGIDs.

iPSC-derived β cells model diabetes due to glucokinase deficiency

Diabetes is a disorder characterized by loss of β cell mass and/or β cell function, leading to deficiency of insulin relative to metabolic need. To determine whether stem cell-derived β cells recapitulate molecular-physiological phenotypes of a diabetic subject, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from subjects with maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 2 (MODY2), which is characterized by heterozygous loss of function of the gene encoding glucokinase (GCK). These stem cells differentiated into β cells with efficiency comparable to that of controls and expressed markers of mature β cells, including urocortin-3 and zinc transporter 8, upon transplantation into mice. While insulin secretion in response to arginine or other secretagogues was identical to that in cells from healthy controls, GCK mutant β cells required higher glucose levels to stimulate insulin secretion. Importantly, this glucose-specific phenotype was fully reverted upon gene sequence correction by homologous recombination. Our results demonstrate that iPSC-derived β cells reflect β cell-autonomous phenotypes of MODY2 subjects, providing a platform for mechanistic analysis of specific genotypes on β cell function.

Improved methods for reprogramming human dermal fibroblasts using fluorescence activated cell sorting

Current methods to derive induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from human dermal fibroblasts by viral infection rely on expensive and lengthy protocols. One major factor contributing to the time required to derive lines is the ability of researchers to identify fully reprogrammed unique candidate clones from a mixed cell population containing transformed or partially reprogrammed cells and fibroblasts at an early time point post infection. Failure to select high quality colonies early in the derivation process results in cell lines that require increased maintenance and unreliable experimental outcomes. Here, we describe an improved method for the derivation of iPSC lines using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate single cells expressing the cell surface marker signature CD13^NEGSSEA4^POSTra-1-60^POS on day 7–10 after infection. This technique prospectively isolates fully reprogrammed iPSCs, and depletes both parental and “contaminating” partially reprogrammed fibroblasts, thereby substantially reducing the time and reagents required to generate iPSC lines without the use of defined small molecule cocktails. FACS derived iPSC lines express common markers of pluripotency, and possess spontaneous differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo. To demonstrate the suitability of FACS for high-throughput iPSC generation, we derived 228 individual iPSC lines using either integrating (retroviral) or non- integrating (Sendai virus) reprogramming vectors and performed extensive characterization on a subset of those lines. The iPSC lines used in this study were derived from 76 unique samples from a variety of tissue sources, including fresh or frozen fibroblasts generated from biopsies harvested from healthy or disease patients.

Reference charts and equations of fetal biometry for normal singleton pregnant women in Shaanxi, China

OBJECTIVE

To construct reference charts and equations of fetal biometry for singleton pregnant women in Shaanxi, China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study involving 6,832 singleton pregnant women. One set of fetal ultrasonographic measurement data between the 16th to 41st gestational weeks (GW) was randomly selected from each pregnant woman, and biparietal diameter (BPD), abdominal circumference (AC), and femur length (FL) were recorded. Mean and standard deviation (SD) of BPD, AC, and FL were fitted by polynomial. Centile = Mean + Z(alpha) x SD was used to calculate centiles. Differences in the 50th centile of BPD, AC, and FL between Hong Kong, Korean, Italian and Shaanxi fetuses were compared.

RESULTS

Mean of BPD, AC, and FL were well-fitted by quadratic polynomial, SD of BPD, AC and FL were fitted by linear regression. Equations for estimating mean and SD for BPD, AC, and FL from GW were obtained. Centiles for BPD,AC, and FL were calculated. From the 21st GW, the differences in BPD,AC, and FL between Hong Kong, Korean, Italian, and Shaanxi fetuses became larger.

CONCLUSION

Fetal biometry reference charts and equations for estimating fetal size and GW could be used in obstetrics practice and research in Shaanxi, China.

Aldose reductase modulates cardiac glycogen synthase kinase-3β phosphorylation during ischemia-reperfusion

Earlier studies have demonstrated that aldose reductase (AR) plays a key role in mediating ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Our objective was to investigate if AR mediates I/R injury by influencing phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (p-GSK3β). To investigate this issue, we used three separate models to study the effects of stress injury on the heart. Hearts isolated from wild-type (WT), human expressing AR transgenic (ARTg), and AR knockout (ARKO) mice were perfused with/without GSK3β inhibitors (SB-216763 and LiCl) and subjected to I/R. Ad-human AR (Ad-hAR)-expressing HL-1 cardiac cells were exposed to hypoxia (0.5% O(2)) and reoxygenation (20.9% O(2)) conditions. I/R in a murine model of transient occlusion and reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was used to study if p-GSK3β was affected through increased AR flux. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) were measured. LVDP was decreased in hearts from ARTg mice compared with WT and ARKO after I/R, whereas LDH release and apoptotic markers were increased (P < 0.05). p-GSK3β was decreased in ARTg hearts compared with WT and ARKO (P < 0.05). In ARKO, p-GSK3β and apoptotic markers were decreased compared with WT (P < 0.05). WT and ARTg hearts perfused with GSK3β inhibitors improved p-GSK3β expression and LVDP and exhibited decreased LDH release, apoptosis, and mitochondrial pore opening (P < 0.05). Ad-hAR-expressing HL-1 cardiac cells, exposed to hypoxia (0.5% O(2)) and reoxygenation (20.9% O(2)), had greater LDH release compared with control HL-1 cells (P < 0.05). p-GSK3β was decreased and correlated with increased apoptotic markers in Ad-hAR HL-1 cells (P < 0.05). Treatment with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) inhibitor increased injury demonstrated by increased LDH release in ARTg, WT, and ARKO hearts and in Ad-hAR-expressing HL-1 cells. Cells treated with protein kinase C (PKC) α/β inhibitor displayed significant increases in p-Akt and p-GSK3β expression, and resulted in decreased LDH release. In summary, AR mediates changes in p-GSK3β, in part, via PKCα/β and Akt during I/R.

The sixth annual translational stem cell research conference of the New York Stem Cell Foundation

The New York Stem Cell Foundation's "Sixth Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference" convened on October 11-12, 2011 at the Rockefeller University in New York City. Over 450 scientists, patient advocates, and stem cell research supporters from 14 countries registered for the conference. In addition to poster and platform presentations, the conference featured panels entitled "Road to the Clinic" and "The Future of Regenerative Medicine."